Even the best divorce solicitor in England can’t help a child cope with divorce

When a couple decides it is time to bring a relationship to an end, thoughts naturally turn to finding the best divorce solicitor in Brighton, London or wherever it is that the couple lives. And while many couples and their family lawyers do all they can to mitigate the pain and suffering for children, it is almost impossible for a family to undergo a divorce without children experiencing some very difficult emotions.

However, around the UK, there are groups which organise events, workshops and schemes to help children who are experiencing or have already experienced the divorce of their parents and these schemes can be a lifeline for children caught in the middle of an emotional or acrimonious split.

Issues for children in divorceWhile parents make a battleground out of contentious details such as financial settlements or contact and residence orders, children may be left with a sense that the whole breakdown was their fault.

Family experts have long recognised that children can suffer lasting trauma from a divorce or relationship breakdown and, in certain areas of the country, initiatives to alleviate the problems have been instigated.

In England, the Oxfordshire Family Mediation group (OFM) has collaborated with local theatre groups since 2009 to help children and young people deal with the emotional consequences of parental break-up.

The Walking on Eggshells project enables children from primary and secondary schools in the county to participate in drama and dance productions themed around coping with divorce and separation.

The project not only gives the children and young adults who run the workshops and perform the plays a chance to become fully aware of their own experience and the experiences of others who have witnessed a family breakdown, but by performing the plays in schools it also allows the children to show their peers the debilitating emotional effects of divorce.

A spokesperson for OFM, Martha Beale, said, “The idea of Walking on Eggshells is to create an opportunity for young people to think about how separation can affect others.

“It is about thinking about how parental separation can change someone’s behaviour, and about how to support friends.”

Ms Beale added, “Parental separation is really a very taboo subject and we are trying to get it off the page to get people talking about it. Quite a lot of the time, they don’t tell friends or family about how they are feeling.”

While divorcing parents may be intent on finding the best divorce solicitor and negotiating the most favourable outcome from a divorce financial settlement, it appears that the best course of action for children of divorce is to allow them to talk and explore their own methods for coping at such a difficult time. And there are groups and professionals out there who can help.

If you are experiencing a divorce, your local council may be able to provide details of any children’s groups or contacts which could provide help and support for young people coping with parental separation.

Healys’ divorce solicitors in Brighton and London
Decisions regarding children in divorce are always emotive and the advice of an experienced family lawyer is often necessary and can be ultimately reassuring.

The highly experienced divorce solicitors and family law lawyers at Healys are part of a full service law firm and have the benefit of being able to draw on the considerable skills and expertise of colleagues in other departments on complex issues arising out of family breakdown. This ensures that we can provide full and comprehensive advice on all aspects of the law relating to children.

If you wish to discuss any aspect of your divorce or separation, particularly with reference to arrangements for children, please contact Catherine Taylor on 01273 669 124 or email catherine.taylor@healys.com for Brighton. For London please contact Jane Sanders on 020 7822 4107 or email jane.sanders@healys.com.

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